Elevating-conveyer for grading and ditching machines.



No.v 804,474. PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

H. S. HOY. ELEVATING CONVEYER FOB. GRADING AND DITGHING MACHINES.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB.27, 1005.

i iran srarns PAT NEIGE HENRY S. HOY, OF UHUAGU, llLLlNlS.

RELIEWMTUNMCNWEYIEW lFlFl GRADING www l'tfkllhl@ MACHHNES.

specification @rimettere Patent.

lPatented Nov. 14, 1905. 4

Applicationled March 27, 1905. Serial No. 252,322.

To ,all whom t may concer-n.-

Beit known that l, HENRY S. HOY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Elevating-ConveyersforGrading and Ditching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

`l\ y invention relates to elevating-conveyers for grading and ditching machines involving as a matter of general construction an elevating-conveyer constructed with an endless carrler or conveyer belt which is driven during the advancement of the machine and a plow which plows up the soil and delivers the resulting loosened earth to the receiving end of the. elevating-conveyer. l have selected as showing a machine of such type lLetters Patent to W. J. Edwards, No. 393,467, dated November 27, 1888, for grading and ditching machine. In the Edwards machine illustrated in said patent the frame of the elevating-conveyer is provided with belt-supporting rolls and an endless conveyer-belt, which at the receiving end of the elevatingconveyer passes about a relatively small idler-roll, while at the delivery'end of the elevating-conveyer the said endless conveyer-belt passes about a relatively large supporting and operating roll having at one end a sprocket which, by means oi an endless link belt or drivingchain, connects with a driving sprocket substantially opposite a point midway of the two ends of the. elevating-conveyer, the said last-mentioned driving-sprocket being supported upon the bodyiirame of the machine and gear, connected with the rear axle. in machines of such class thepower-driven belt-roll, which operates to drive the conveyer-belt, is arranged at the upper delivery end of the elevating-conveyer, so as to place its sprocket and the driving-chain remote from the receiving end ortion of the 1elevating-conveyer and out o the way ci soil; thrown up by the plow and also cut of the lway of bushes and the like over which the machine may pass. With such arrangement the idler-belt-supporting roll at the receiving yend oi the elev'ating-conveyer is preferably and usually comparatively small; but, on the other hand, it has been found necessary in such machines as constructed'prior to'- my invention to make the f belt-operating roll at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyer comparatively larger, as shown in said Edwards patent, so as to provide a roper area of contacting frictiona'l surface etween the driven endless conveyerbelt and the roll which serves to drive it.

Objects ol my invention are toavoid arranging the belt-driving roll or drum at the delivery end oi the elevating-conveyer and to permit the conveyer-belt to be supported at the delivery end oi the elevating-conveyer by a comparativelysmall idler-roll, and thereby to reduce the diameter` of the roll at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyer. By employing a small belt-supporting roll at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyer the lsaid end of the elevating-carrier can be proportionally lowered, thereby reducing the height of said end from the ground and at the same time permitting the delivery elevating-conveyer to have all necessary inclination. In machines of this class certain kinds of earth or soil will frequently slide back and oil' the conveyer-belt durin operation when the elevating-conveyer as the usual inclination necessary to discharge onto a bank or into a wagon, assuming that said machines have a large belt-driving drum or roll at the delivery end oi the elevating-conveyer. l

An object olf' my invention is to so decrease the diameter o1c the belt-supporting roll at the delivery end ci the elevating-conveyer that l can lessen the angle or degree of inclination of the elevating-conveyer and still maintain its delivery end at a suitable height from the ground.

iurther objects of my invention are to build up a higher bank oi soil discharged from the elevating-conveyer with the latter at about the usual angle or degree of inclination, also to dispense with about three-quan.

ters of the length ci the sprocket drivingchain illustrated in said Edwards patent, and, further, to provide an arrangement whereby ll can dispense with a sprocketchain and employ only a simple arran ement of' gearing, also to place the beltriving drum or roll nearer the driving power, thereby reducing the yextent of driving connection, also to dis ense with the use of a sprocket at the deli conveyer, and thereb avoid providing suc delivery end oi the e evating-conveyerv with a sprocketwhich in use is apt to catch upon very end of the elevatin lIOO banks, wagons, and the like, it being understood that in using these machines it is fa carrier belt B passes about an idler-roll C at the receiving end of the elevating-conveyer and about an idler-roll D at the delivery end thereof. The oonveyer-belt B is driven by an endless driving band or belt E, arranged within the conveyer-beltf-that is to say, the

endless driving band or belt E is arranged between the upper and lower leaves of the conveyer-belt. The drivinv-belt F passes directly about the idler-roll D at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyer and is therefore interposed between said roll and the belt B, the latter being at such point upon the outer `side of the driving-belt. rlhe drivingbelt therefore has its inner side in direct contact with the roll D, and the conveyer-belt has its inner side in frictional contact with the outer side of the ydrivin belt. With this arran ement the idler-rol D supports the two be ts at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyer.

rlhe driving-belt E is supported at a point back of the delivery end of the elevatingconveyer by a driving roll or drum F, which is relatively larger than either of the rolls C and D and also of sufficient diameter to insure suitable area of frictional contact between its periphery and the said driving-belt. As shown in Fig. 2, the axis of the driving roll or drum F is somewhat lower than a right line between the arr-es of the idler-rolls D and D, whereby the upper leaf of the conveyer-belt lies in a right line between the highest portions of the rolls C and D and at the same time bears upon and contacts with the portion of the driving-belt F which passes `over the highest portion of the driving roll or drum F. The leaf of the conveyer-be between the rolls F and C is su ported or upheld as against sag by idler-rol s G, mounted upon the frame A, and like rolls ll are also arranged in series between the rolls F and D for the purpose of supporting the upper leaf of the conveyerbe t between the rolls F and D and for the further purpose of upholding the u er leaf of the driving-belt E between said ro s F and D, and thereby increasing the area of fricportion of the upper tional contact between the driving-belt and the conveyer-belt, it being observed that the inner side of the upper leaf of the drivingbelt E bears upon the rolls H and that the upper leaf of the driving-belt and the conveyer-belt are also further maintained in frictional contact by means of these rolls H.

The idler-roll l (shown in Fig. 2) upholds the lower leaves of the two belts, and the idler-roll K upholds the lower leaf of the conveyer-belt at a point between the rolls F and C. These rolls I and K are mounted upon the frame A and can be multiplied as desired. lt will also be seen that the rolls l and K engage the outer side of the conveyerbelt and that as arranged they are somewhat higher'than the lowest point of the roll F, thereby further insuring frictional contact between the two belts. Any suitable belttightener device L L can be employed for adjusting the roll D so as to suitably tighten the two belts employed.

When the roll or drum 'F is operated so as to drive the belt E, the frictional contact between the belt portions' passing about the idler-roll D will cause the belt E to drive the conveyer-belt. lt will be observed, however, that the generaly arrangement of other rolls hereinbefore described increases frictional contact between the two belts, and thereby further insures positive driving engagement between the driving-belt E and the conveyer-belt B.

The roll or drum F is supported upon the frame A and is shown as being arranged at a point midway or substantially 'midway of the distance between the receiving and delivery ends of the elevating-conveyer. In Fie. 1 one of the journals of the roll or drum F is IOO provided with a sprocket M, which is conl and o erated by the rear axle P of the machine y suitable gearing, such as illustrated, it being observed that as the gearing referred to is substantially the same as shown in said Edwards patent it need not be further specifically described. lt may be observed, however,l that as the distance between the aires of the sprockets M and N is comparatively short said gears can be gear-connected in any other suitable way.

l-/V ith further reference to the mode of o erating the elevating conveyer-beltit will e seen that the friction driving-belt .E passes about an idler-celt-supporting roll at one end of the conveyer-frarne and also about the IOS ITS

power-driven roll F, which serves as a beltsupporting and belt-driving roll. The ortion of the belt E which passes about an i lerroll at one end of the frame preferably rises from the straightcylindric surface of such roll, so that it can be made comparatively lro i in

sea-,era

wide and provide a broad bearin for the outer` conveyer-belt B, which is riven by reason of irictional contact between the two belts. A

ln operating a ditching and grading machine ci the class involved the soil discharged. from the elevatin -conveyer is in some kinds of worli deposite alongside the excavation, and in others it is received Ain a wagon, which is maintained by its team in position under the delivery end oi the elevating-conveyor while the machine is in motion. ln either case the delivery end oi the elevating-conveyer is elevated to a height sutiicient to per--` mit it to clear the banked-up soil or the wagon, and obviously where a comparatively large belt-driving roll is arranged. at the delivery end oi the elevating-conveyer, as in said Edwards patent, the angle ol the belt must be greater than where the delivery end i of the elevating--conveyer is merely provided with an idler-belt-supporting roll in accordance with. my invention, it being seen that under such conditions l can decrease the inclination of the upper leaf of the conveyerbelt proportionally to the extent to which l reduce the diameter of the roll at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyer; also, that l avoid the presence of a sprocket at the delivery end of the elevating-conveyor and that where l employ a drive-chain7 as illustrated, l materially reduce the length of such chain.

What l claim as my invention iss- 1. ln aI ditching and grading machine, an elevating-conveyor constructed with a roll-- supporting frame, an idler-belt roll at each end 'portion of the frame, an endless con.- veyer-belt extending between and passing about said two idler-rolls, and a series oli idler-rolls arranged between said end rolls and upholding the Vupper leaf of the endless conveyer-belt; a lpovv(-n li'ive:r1 belt roll` or drum. 'mounted upon the frame at a point between the two end idler-rolls; an endless driving-belt extending between the ysaid belt-driving roll or drum and the idler-roll at one end oi the elevatin -conveyer and passabout said two rol s, the said drivin be t being operated by said driving-belt ro l. and being arranged within the endless conveyer-belt and in `irictional contact therewith, whereby'the endless conveyer-belt is operated by the driving-belt; means lor o erating the driving-belt roll; and idler-rolls engaging the; under side ci the lower leal oi the conveyor-belt, the lowest point oi said rolls being higher than the lowest point olA the belt-driving, roll which is positioned be-l tween these. two rolls. l

2. ln a ditching and grading machine, the elevating-conveyer having .a roll-supported endless conveyer-belt; means for operating the conveyor-belt consisting of an endless `ing the driving-belt and arranged between the upper and lower leaves of the elevating conveyor-belt; the endless conveyer-belt bei ing supported at one end oi the elevatingconveyer by the portion ol the inner drivingbelt passing about the roll at such end of the elevating-conveyer, and the extent oi frictional contact between the outer surface ol the inner belt and the inner surface of the outer conveyer-belt being suitable and suiiicientrto cause the inner' belt to drive the outer belt by frictional engagement therewith.

3. ln a ditching and grading machine, the elevating-conveyor having an endless conveyer-belt; a ower-driven belt-roll arranged within tlie space of the endless con-- veyer-belt and ositioned between the receiving and delivery ends of the elevatingccnveyer; an idler-belt-supporting roll at one end oi the elevating-conveyer; an endless belt extending between and passing about the said two rolls and operated by the one which is power-driven, sald driving-belt being within the conveyorbelt and maintained in frictional contact with inner surface portions of the upper and lower leaves of the conveyor-belt as a means for driving the latter, the driving-belt and the conveyerbelt being both supported by the idler-roll at one end of the elevating-conveyor, the driving-belt being in direct contact with such roll and the conveyer-belt bein upon and against the outer surface oi' the riving-belt.

4. ln a ditching and grading machine, the elevating-conveyer constructed with a suitable frame a belt-driving roll mounted uponl the frame at a point between the ends thereci, and drivin -gearing connecting said driving-roll with the rear axle of the'machine; an idler-roll mounted at one end oi the elevating-conveyer; a drivin -belt passing about said idler-roll and said riving-roll and operated by the latter, and an endless conveyerbelt passing over and under the driving-belt and in irictional engagement therewith, the

conveyor-belt bein driven by .trictional contact with the said riving-belt, and the latter being in turn driven by the driving-roll.

5. ln a ditching and grading machine, an endless carrier orconveyer belt, and a driving-belt therefor arranged within and engaging the said carrier or conveyer and means for operating said inner driving-belt; the outer conveyer-belt being driven by reason y oi the lfrictional engagement of its inner surface with the outer surface of the inner driving-belt durins1 the operation oi the latter.

.y 6. 'lhe combination of the outer endless IOO IIO

iig

conveyer-belt B; the inner driving-belt E intWo belts at adpoint higher than the lowest rictonal engagement with the said outer portion of the riVing-roll.

belt 5 the frame; a roll for driving the belt HENRY S HGY E; a roll at one end of the frame su porting v 5 the tW`o belts; and a roll arranged Ilyetween Witnesses:

the said end roll and the drvinC-roll and u CHARLES G. PAGE, holding the lower contacting 'leaves of t e O. C. FREIBERG. 

